. >> john mccain's 2000 campaign when he ran for president is the most memorable campaign. i mean, of any that i've ever covered or been around. i mean, it was just -- we'll never, we'll never see it again. i mean, here he was, you know, facing george w. bush who had all the face cards of the republican party backing him, and the three republican governors in new hampshire and all the money, and john mccain went out and held 114 town meetings, and he stayed there until every or question was answered. and you'd see people, you'd see the lightbulb going off over people's head. when are we going to get the patient's bill of rights? and john mccain would say we're not going to get a patient's bill of rights as long as my party's owned by the trial lawyers. it was just this refreshing candor, and you'd see it in people's responses. and then he was totally open to the press. i mean, there was a candor and an opennesses and sort of a welcomeness that no one had seen before, and no one certainly has seen since. >> longtime columnist and political analyst mark shields on his career